Leeward Islands Act 1871
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1871 c. 107 |
Leeward Islands Act, 1871
(34 & 35 Vict.) CHAP. 107.
An Act for the Federation and general Government of the Leeward Islands.
[21st August 1871]
W HEREAS the several legislative bodies of Her Majesty's Leeward Islands have, by certain resolutions, signified their desire for the union of the said islands under one government in manner therein set forth, and have requested that the said resolutions may be embodied in an Act of the Imperial Parliament with all such provisions as may be necessary to give them full force and effect, and it is expedient that the said union should be established:
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1 Short title.
1. This Act may be cited for all purposes as ‘TheLeeward Islands Act, 1871.’
2 Colony of Leeward Islands.
2. So soon as this Act shall come into operation in the Leeward Islands, those islands shall form one colony, consisting of six presidencies, namely, the several islands of Antigua, Montserrat, Saint Christopher, Nevis, and Dominica, with their respective dependencies, and the Virgin Islands.
3 Definition of terms.
3. In this Act the following terms shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the subject or context repugnant thereto; (that is to say,)
‘Governor’ shall mean the Governor or officer for the time being administering the general government of the Leeward Islands:
‘General Government’ and ‘General Legislature’ shall respectively mean the government and legislature of the Leeward Islands:
‘Island Government,’‘Island Council,’ and ‘Island Legislature’ shall mean respectively the government, legislative body, or legislature of one of the above-named presidencies:
‘Proclamation’ shall mean a written or printed notice under the hand of the Governor, published by his order in each of the presidencies which it may directly concern.
4 Commencement of Act.
4. This Act shall come into operation in the Leeward Islands on a day to be declared by proclamation.
5 Executive Council.
5. There shall be an Executive Council of the Leeward Islands consisting of such persons or officers as the Queen may from time to time name or designate.
6 Appointment of officers.
6. The Queen may, from time to time, appoint such officers of the General Government as Her Majesty may think fit, with such salaries as may be assigned to them by the General Legislature.
7 General Legislative Council.
7. There shall be in the Leeward Islands a legislative body, to be styled ‘The General Legislative Council,’ composed of ten elective and ten non-elective members.
Provided that the proceedings of the Council shall not be invalid on account of any vacancies therein.
8 Elective members.
8. Of the elective members, four shall be taken from the Island Council of Antigua, three from that of Saint Christopher, two from that of Dominica, and one from that of Nevis. They shall respectively be chosen by the elective members of the island council from which they are taken, in such manner as the said island council may, from time to time, by any standing rule determine, and within such period as may, from time to time, be prescribed by proclamation.
9 Non-elective members.
9. The non-elective members shall be appointed by the Queen in such manner and under such conditions as Her Majesty may think fit, and shall be as follows:
A President, who at the time of his appointment shall bemember of some island council:
Three official members, who shall at the time of their appointmentbe officers of the General Government, and shall ipso facto vacate their seats on ceasing to be so:
Six unofficial members, of whom one shall be taken fromeach of the island councils, and who shall ipso facto vacate their seats on ceasing to be members of such councils.
10 Legislative powers of the Council.
10. Subject to the provisions of the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth sections of this Act, the Governor with the consent of the General Legislative Council, herein-after referred to as ‘the Council,’ may make laws, for the Leeward Islands or any part thereof, on the following subjects:
1. The law of real and personal property, including wills, testaments, probate, and administration of estates of deceased persons:
2. The mercantile law:
3. The law relating to husband and wife, parent and child, marriage, divorce, and guardianship of infants:
4. The criminal law:
5. The constitution of courts of law, the criminal and civil administration of justice, including the jurisdiction, practice, and procedure of all courts of law, criminal and civil:
6. The establishment and regulation of a common convict station and a common prison discipline:
7. The establishment and regulation of a general police force, and of the other protective forces of the Leeward Islands:
8. The post office and the electric telegraph:
9. Quarantine:
10. Currency:
11. Weights and measures:
12. Audit of the public accounts in the several presidencies:
13. Education:
14. Immigration and treatment of immigrants:
15. Idiots, lunatics, and idiot and lunatic asylums:
16. Copyrights and patents:
17. The constitution and procedure of the Council:
18. Such other subjects in respect of each presidency as the Island Legislature thereof may declare to be within the competency of the General Legislature.
11 Legislative powers of Presidencies.
11. Subject to the provisions of the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth sections of this Act, the Governor may, with the consent of the Legislative Body of any presidency, make laws for the peace, order, and good government thereof, but any island enactment relating to any of the subjects named in the preceding section may at any time be repealed or altered by the General Legislature, and shall, without any formal repeal, be void so far as it is repugnant to any law passed by the General Legislature.
12 Convocation, &c. of General Legislative Council.
12. The Council may from time to time be convoked, prorogued, and dissolved by any instrument under the hand and seal of the Governor.
13 When to be convoked.
13. The Council shall be so convoked within six months after this Act shall come into operation in the Leeward Islands, and afterwards once (at least) in every year.
14 Place of meeting.
14. The place of meeting of the Council shall from time to time be fixed by proclamation.
15 Duration of Council.
15. The duration of the Council...
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